Alex Cora says he’s not troubled by his contract status and doesn’t envision growing old as an MLB manager.
BOSTON — Alex Cora met with reporters in Fort Myers on Tuesday, marking the unofficial start of the Boston Red Sox’s 2024 season. Notably, the 48-year-old appeared to be in better physical shape than when he finished the 2023 season.
Cora explained that this is the product of some deliberate work done over his offseason.
“It was an excellent offseason. Last year was a challenging one for me. “I have to be honest with you, the season took its toll on me,” Cora remarked. ”
Mentally and physically, it was challenging. And I decided — well, it was around September, and it began with my induction into the Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame.
And so, when I looked at myself in September, I said, ‘Bro, you better get going, because there will be a lot of images of you at this ceremony.'”
Cora entered 2024 in a healthier state than when he left 2023, thanks to a healthier diet, a running program with his fiancée, Angelica Feliciano (who is training for the Boston Marathon), and some truth bombs from his own mother (“She devastated me”).
“Honestly, kidding aside, I felt terrible physically last year. I felt dreadful physically. Energy-wise. “It was horrible,” Cora stated. “It was horrible, and I can’t let a game define who I am or what I need to do. So I feel great.”
While Cora is clearly bringing new vigor to the 2024 season, he does not have a new contract. Cora’s contract, signed in 2021, included options for 2023 and 2024. Cora is now considered a lame duck for the 2024 season.
“No, not at all,” he answered when asked if he was disturbed by his current situation. “As I’ve been saying all along, this is where we are. And whatever happens in the future will be a family decision. I’m glad I’m here.
This organization gave me the opportunity to become a major league manager in the fall of 2017. because then, more shockingly, because I take it seriously, they provided me the opportunity to return immediately following my suspension. And I appreciate it.
I never expected to be back managing so soon after my error, and we appreciate it. Angelica mentioned it to [The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier] the other day, and this is family to us. We adore it in Boston. However, as a family, we understand how things work. It is a business.
At the same time, we’re extremely content where we are. We had one of the nicest offseasons I’d experienced in a long time. We travel a lot, and the kids play soccer and baseball. I really coached their team for a short time there.
“To answer your question directly, it does not bother me.”
Cora’s belief that there is more to life than managing baseball may contribute to this feeling. Cora, who has two young sons and a college-aged daughter, does not envision himself sitting in a dugout in his 60s.
“I won’t be able to manage another ten years, I’ll tell you that. “I don’t see myself being like Tito [Francona] or Tony [LaRussa],” he explained. “I have two boys and a daughter, who is a junior in college.”
To be honest, life is about more than baseball. This is a tough business. As I indicated three years ago, I read [Pep] Guardiola’s book.
And he noted that staying in one place for longer than five or six years can be taxing. And I believe I was smacked with that last year. I am delighted I recognized that.”
Cora went on to say, “It’s not easy, dude, dealing with the media, players, the front office, and the expectation of winning. It should be fun, but it isn’t always.
As I already stated, I do not see myself managing for ten years. I envision myself doing other things in the game, with my family, back home in Puerto Rico.”
While everyone in professional sports prefers long-term job stability to uncertainty, Cora’s stance seemed like that of someone who wouldn’t necessarily mind returning to Puerto Rico if his time in Boston came to an end.
His status — both short and long term — is expected to be a major storyline for the squad this year, both figuratively and practically, with Netflix camera teams and microphones stationed near Cora at all times. Cora, however, has told the media that he does not want to be the center of attention.
“But, as I mentioned, I don’t want this season to be about me. This is about the Boston Red Sox and how we need to recover to be ready to play in October,” Cora said. “Obviously, that is something that will come up during the season, and I understand that.
But I don’t want to talk about it too much since this is where I’m at and I love it. I appreciate everything this organization has done for me and my family.
As I mentioned a few years back, when [daughter] Camila was five in 2007 and 2008, they treated her the same way they treat my boys.
And that speaks to who we are as an organization. that’s family-first; they like taking care of us, and we appreciate that.
Cora has a 440-370 record as manager of the Red Sox. Following three winning seasons (2018, 2019, 2021) and a World Series championship, he led the Red Sox to back-to-back 78-84 seasons, with the team finishing last in the AL East both times.
While no one would argue that Cora was given a championship-caliber squad over the last two seasons (and for the upcoming season), that may not matter if the Craig Breslow-led front office decides to go in a different path.
The lack of contractual obligations beyond 2024 may allow them to make such a decision with little restrictions.
Cora will leave it for everyone else to discuss. When asked if he intends to manage the Red Sox beyond the upcoming season, Cora responded, “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
